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American Chemical Society Certification
Chemistry majors receiving the B.A. degree and completing a more intensive program than the minimum required for graduation are certified to the Society. Certified graduates are eligible to become regular members of the American Chemical Society (ACS) after graduation; other chemistry graduates may become associate members after graduation and regular members after three years of professional experience in chemistry.
For certification a student must complete, in addition to the requirements for the chemistry major, the following: CHEM 4021, plus two additional advanced three credit courses. One of these advanced courses must be a biochemistry course, CHEM 4611 or 4711. The other course should be a 400 or 500 level courses in chemistry or related fields: molecular biology, chemical engineering, computing science, geochemistry, mathematics, or physics. Independent Study (CHEM 4901) will count as an advanced course for this purpose if (a) it is preceded by at least one semester of physical chemistry, and (b) the student prepares a well-written paper describing his or her work, and a copy of the paper, approved by the research director, is submitted to the Undergraduate Chemistry Office, Ekeley M199. The ACS is considering a proposal to require at least one course in biochemistry for certification, so students may want to make this part of their plans.
The formality of ACS certification is of most value to students intending to find jobs in chemical industry. This certification has less significance for students entering graduate studies in chemistry and the biological, biochemical, or health science fields. To meet the certification criteria, the ACS requires a more thorough background in undergraduate chemistry than that provided by the minimum requirements for the B.A. Chemistry degree at CU. Students should recognize that a thorough preparation in chemistry is of value to all students, whatever their future plans. Students at CU Boulder have many options for advanced study beyond the minimum requirements.
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